What is the Beast?

Every vampire carries a Beast within, a primal force that threatens to overcome them and send them into permanent frenzy.. turn them into a true monster. The Beast hungers for blood. It fears fire and sunlight. It hates anything that impedes its immortality. The Beast exists inside each vampire, and it can never be ignored. It can only be fought. The Beast expresses in different ways in different bloodlines, and in different individuals. The Beast expresses in different ways in different bloodlines, and in different individuals. For some, this fight can last for centuries. For others, it can last but a night. However, when this fight ends, it can only mean that the Beast has won. This battle with the Beast is marked by Beast Traits.

In essence - but very few vampires may actually realize this - the beast is not a thing. It is the result of a conflict, the conflict between that which is human and that which is not. In other words, the Beast is a symptom, for all that it feels like an independent creature to the vampires afflicted with it. The vampiric nature is parasitic, not murderous. The murderous tendencies come from mortal hungers… the desire to feel alive again, to feel anything again.
No mortal can face the pressures this places on their psyche and remain entirely sane. The mind must sacrifice parts of its humanity in order to distance itself from these horrors. Older vampires tend to be even more removed from human moralities.

Beast Trait Systems

Beast-Traits come in two levels (Subhuman and Monstrous) and three different categories. Categories determine which type of frenzy they tend to produce:

All vampires, including Childer and Neonates start with a -minimum- of 1 Subhuman Beast-Trait. Certain clans may get a second Beast-Trait also. Characters that gain a 5th Beast-Trait are lost to the Beast, in permanent frenzy and are taken out of play. A list of Beast-Traits available on LAmush can be found here.

Yielding to the Beast

If a character Yields to the Beast, they automatically gain a Beast Trait.

Why?

Because the Beast within each vampire constantly strains to come to the fore. If a character fails to resist it all the time, then the Beast will grow in strength and eventually consume the character.

So, what is 'Yielding to the Beast?'

Upon one of your character's Beast Traits being triggered; failing to expend Willpower to resist the frenzy.

Having no Willpower is not an excuse. The Beast is implacable.

In-character, this manifests as 'giving in' or 'yielding' to the Beast's will and the resulting frenzy.

Spending Willpower during frenzy for any reason other than to come out of frenzy.

In-character, this manifests as adding your willpower to the Beast's desires and is an easy way to move toward Monstrosity.

Voluntarily frenzying for any reason.

In-character, this is choosing to let the Beast free.

However much a vampire's humanity will continue to slip away, so long as that vampire doesn't Yield to the Beast, the Beast will not gain lasting control over it. The Beast's minor jailbreak victories (frenzies) are exactly that; temporary victories, lunges forward before a character can beat back its Beast once again. It's doubtful any can take any solace from this fact, however. The destruction is all too real.

Once a character has five Beast Traits the Beast consumes the character. The vampires' personality is destroyed and the Beast takes over permanently, resulting in a character that is ruled by a perpetual frenzy. The character will have a short existence as a raving Beast and a NPC before being removed from play.

Salvation from the Beast

Losing Beast Traits is a matter of will, time, desire to lose them, and many other factors. Such salvation is largely a matter of roleplay that will involve intimate discussions with your Clan Architect. However, there are some unavoidable considerations for this struggle that cannot be ignored. To lose a Beast Trait one must resist it, repeatedly, over a long period of time - and never enter frenzy because of it.
Losing control even once means you have to start all over again. It is not sufficient to resist temptation; you must confront it and survive.
This process involves a lot of roleplaying issues to be discussed with your Clan Architect.

More information on buying off an Beast Trait can be found here.
Also see: Golconda.